Fastener element having a laterally movable head



March 31, 1953 c. s. ANDERSON 2,633,049

FASTENER ELEMENT HAVING A LATERALLY MOVABLE HEAD Filed Dec. 1'7, 1949 Patented Mar. 31, 1953 FASTENER ELEMENT HAVING A LATERALLY MOVABLE HEAD Chester Sig Anderson, St. Charles, Ill.

Application December 17, 1949, Serial No. 133,637

2 Claims.

f The present invention relates to a novel means and mechanism for securely fastening panels or sheets of a wall covering such as rock lath or metal lath upon a frame or supporting surface,

yet permitting relative movement between adjacent panels or sheets and with respect to the .sheets or panels is applied to the studding or joists and preferably with the panels or sheets in slightly spaced relation because of the natural thermal expansion and contraction and to further compensate for any future shifting or settling which is apt to cause undue pressure that frequently results in unsightly cracks and crevices in the plaster or other surface coating.

.It. is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a simplified form of nail or fastening means comprising a nail having a head and point at the opposite ends, a substantially cone-shaped enlargement between the point and the head, and a cap of substantially greater dimensions than the head for receiving the head and whereby the head and cap are shiftable laterally. This assembly permitslimited lateral movement or shifting of the lath due to its expansion and contraction, as well as limited movement of the structure on which such lath is supported. Thus the plaster in which the head and cap assembly isembedded is not subject to the stresses and strains normally imposed thereon by such forces, and the nail 'head is permitted to move or shift relative to the cap whereby the wall, surfacing remains smooth and unbroken.

,The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novel nail assembly for anchoring rock and metal lath and the like to the studding and joists of a supporting frame, the assembly including a head and a novel hollow cap of greater diameter or cross-section than the nail head and adapted 'to loosely receive and substantially enclose the head, and means provided on one of said members for frictionally engaging the other and thereby retaining the cap against accidental or unintentional shifting on the nail head. v

Further objects'are to providev a construction of maximumsimplicity,'eif1ciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will .later'more fully" appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

Theinvention further'resides in the'co'nstru'ction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and

while there is shown therein a-preferred embodiment, iti's to'be' understood that the same and of substantially greater diameter or crossis susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing panels or sections of rock or similar lath mounted and held in place by the novel securing or fastening means upon a supporting frame.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in horizontal cross-section taken in a plane represented by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views in perspective of the novel fastening means or nail assembly.

Fig. 5 is a disassembled view of the novel-nail and cap. a r

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the head end of the nail with the cap broken away to more clearly disclose the relationship between the head and cap, and showing the projections or protuberances on the underside of the head for preventing accidental or unintentional shifting of the cap with respect to the nail head.

Fig. '7 is a view in perspective of one of the fastening members or nail assemblies and a fibre washer for anchoring metal lath upon the studding or joists of the supporting frame.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary face or plan view of the novel fastening means employed in anchoring a section of metal lath upon its support.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing and to the novel illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, adjacent panels, sheets of sections l of rock lather the like are shown as mounted upon or attached to studding or joists 2 and to the headers and foot rails 3 by the novel fastening means or nail assemblies 4. These fastening members 4 comprise a nail having a shank 5 pointed at one end 6 and at its other end provided with a head 1. Intermediate these ends there is provided a cone-shaped or conical enlargement 8 of greater diameter or cross-section than the shank 5 of the nailbut substantially less than the diameter or cross-section of the head 1.

The head I is provided with a plurality of spaced, rounded projections or protuberances 9 on its undersurface and a cap ll receiving and partially enclosing or encompassing the head section than the head 1. This cap is bent or spun inwardly to form an inturned flange [2 witha centrally disposed opening I3 substantially greater than the diameter or cross-section of the shank 5 ofthe nail, the circumference or peripheryor the'head 1 being spaced inwardly asubsuch relative movement is restricted by the frictional engagement 'of these protuberances with -the'interioror adjacent surface of the inturned flange I2. Theseprotuberances may be located rather closely adjacent the periphery of the head I (Fig. 5), or inwardly more closely toward the shank (Fig. 6), so long as there is frictional contact maintained between theihead.of theinail and the flange [2. Or, these protuberances may be indentations in the flange l2 .bearingagainst the head of the nail.

This fastening means or;.nail assembly may be employed in securely attaching the panels, sheets or sections of rock lath or the like I "onto-the studding or joists 2, or for attaching panels,

sheets or sections =of "metal lath [4 '(see' Figs. 7 and 8) onto "the studding or joists 2 of the supporting frame. -In such attachment of'panels or sheets of metal lath, Ipreferably provide a fibre washer l5 of greater diameter or crosssectionthan'the head 1 of the nailand of the openings A in the lath, and drive the 'nail through the opening in this washer whereby the latter is forced or driven against and'tightly engages the metal lath by the cap of the-nail.

The opening in thewasher I5 is initially'larger than the shank of the'nail or made so by the enlargement 8 on the nail 'to "allow for relative movement.

In the fabrication of the'wall and assuming panels or sheets of rock lath or the like I are to be applied, the fastening members are driven throughthe'lath-andinto the 'studding 2 of the wood frame'until the underside of the 'cap ll impinges against the outer face of the lath and retains it securely. These fastening -members are driven through the lath and anchored in "the wooden-supporting'frameor studding at the desired spacing as shown in Fig. 2, or through a washer and the metal lath as shown in Figs. 7 and -8. The conical or downwardly tapered enlargement 8, which is spaced sufficiently from the underside of'the head to span the thickness of the lath, in passing through the lath forms an opening it therein of-not less than the diameter or cross-section of the enlargement 8. This allows for relative movement thereat between theshank *5 of the fastening member or'nail -and the panels or sheets of lath as Well as 'between the-lath and the supporting framework.

Were it not forthe cap II which is pressed against the lath-and'becomes embedded in the *surface 'finish of plaster or 'the'like that is applied to the rock lath or metal'lath after assembly, the nails-would be rigidlyconnected'or "anchored to the panels I and provide a rigid assemblytherebetween. The resulting assembly would not compensatefor the thermalexpansion and contraction of the lath and studding, or

for relative movement due to'other causes such as settling of the building. By reason of the relative movement permitted between the head Tofthe nail' and the cap ll, "and-with the opening 16 in the lath-being'of a size substantially greater than the diameter or cross-section of the shank 5 so that relative movement therebetween is permitted, relative movement between the adjacent panels, sheets or sections of lath 'as well as-between these'panels, sheets or "sections and their-supportingjmembers, is assured. 'As'the capis-made of 'one piece and carried by the "nail head as aunit assembly, but one operation is required for driving 'and anchoring the nail and cap assembly inposition, and when so assembled, the panels or sheets of lath are retained securely yet sufficientlyyieldable with respect to lateral strain as to permit thermal expansion and contraction and limited relative movement or shifting between thelath' and suranchoring a wall covering of panels of rock lath and the like upon a supporting frame, comprisxing a'nail having a shank pointed at one end,

anenlarged head provided on the other end and a downwardly tapered enlargement intermediate the ends, a hollow cap for loosely receiving the "head and having a continuous inturned flange bent over the undersideof -the head and providing an uninterrupted flatsurface engaging the wall covering, said flange being provided with an opening of substantially greater cross-section than that of the shank, and roundedprotuberances spacingthe'head from the flange for frictionally restricting coplanar 'movement between thecap and the head but permitting either to shift upon relativemovement between the wall covering and supporting frame, said protuberanoes projecting from the underside of the head and disposed inwardly of the periphery of the head for engaging the inturned flange.

2. A'fastener assembly for securely yet yieldably' anchoring and retaining preformed sheets "of a wall covering upon a supporting frame, comprising a nail having a pointed end, an enlarged part providing a head and a substantially cone-shapedenlargement of the shank intermediate the ends and of less cross-section than the head forformingan opening in the wall covering of a size substantially greater than that of the shank to permit'lateral movement of the sheets of Wall covering relative to the nail, and a hollow part-providing a cap receiving and loosely encompassing the nail head and having an inturned annular and continuous'flange presenting a'flat contacting face adapted to impinge against the wall covering and provided with an opening through which the shankprojects and of substantially greater cross-section than the cross-section of the shank whereby the shank and'head of the nail may shift laterally with respect to the cap, and spaced, rounded projections on one'of said parts projecting into contact with and frictionally engaging the 'adjacent coplanar surface of the other part for spacingthe head from the flange and frictionally restricting coplanar movement between the cap and the head but permitting either toshift upon relativemovement between the wall covering and the supporting frame.

CHES'IER SIG ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED "STATES "PATENTS Number Name Date 539,627 Lines, May-21,1895 1,326,962 'Poindexter... Jan. 6, 1920 1,76715'65 Thrift .et al.. June24, 1930 2,016,241 Clark Oct. 1, 1935 2,101,777 Fox Dec. 7, 1937 2,307,348 Anderson Jan. 5, 1943 2,528,288 Rublee. Oct..31, .1950

FOREIGN PATENTS N umber "Country Date (541,402 GreatBritain Aug. 9, 1950 

